CARDOZO LAW

Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law ● Yeshiva University

Tel Aviv University Law School Buchmann Faculty of Law Student Exchange ProgramTel Aviv, Israel


The School
Located at the heart of Tel Aviv, TAU Law Faculty is widely considered to be one of the top in Israel. It offers an environment of excellence and educational intimacy in the form of renowned faculty, vibrant student life, ample opportunities for clinical training, and extracurricular activities. Small by design, the faculty’s impact on the legal world is measured by its accomplished graduates and its ongoing scholarship and outreach through numerous centers and projects.

Location
Tel Aviv is Israel's cultural and commercial center. Located on the Mediterranean Sea, it has beautiful beaches and a lively promenade that attracts people from all over the world. There are plenty of cultural activities, as Tel Aviv boasts a variety of museums, galleries, theatres and concert halls. Its surrounding beaches, bordered by a mosaic promenade, attract revelers from afar.


Visible from a distance with its seafront skyscrapers and exclusive hotels, Tel-Aviv presents a lively combination of entertainment venues, shopping malls, exotic markets, nonstop active nightlife, gorgeous golden beaches and wonderful restaurants of all kinds.

Calendar

Tel Aviv has traditionally been a spring semester program, though they have recently begun offering a full semester of credits in the Fall semester. Classes generally run from late February through June, though there are a full credit load of courses which are offered during only the first eight weeks of the semester, allowing students to return home by the end of May. Students are also assisted in finding summer employment in Israel following their semester. Prior summer employment has included clerking in the Supreme Court, interning at an Israeli law firm, or working in one of the Law School’s specialized clinics.

Application
After receiving approval from Cardozo for study at Tel Aviv University, admitted students’ names and contact information will be sent to the Tel Aviv exchange coordinator. Selected students must submit an application and supporting documentation including a transcript, passport-sized photo, and photocopy of the first page of the passport to Tel Aviv University. The Office of Graduate and International Programs will forward this information to the exchange coordinator after approval is granted from Cardozo.

Language of Instruction

Courses will be held in English and students are also welcome to sit in on courses taught in Hebrew, if their knowledge of Hebrew allows.

Courses

The exchange program is designed to emphasize international and comparative law as well as

selected courses in Israeli law and politics and Jewish law. Recent course offerings in English have included Introduction to Information Law; Transitional Justice; Freedom of Religion; Gender, Religion and the Law; Human Rights and Disability Law; Criminal Justice in Israel; Digital Copyright; Comparative Corporate Law. A detailed course list and descriptions for the courses is generally available 1-2 months in advance and will be posted on Tel Aviv’s website at http://www6.tau.ac.il/law_exchange/.

Credit

Cardozo students must register for a minimum of 14 credits at Tel Aviv University in order to receive 12 Cardozo credits for transfer. In order to receive credit, students must submit their proposed course selections in writing to the Assistant Dean for Graduate and International Programs prior to departure, and must confirm their final registration as soon as it is done in Tel Aviv and while there is still an opportunity to make changes to their schedules. The acceptance of any credit or grade for any courses taken at the TAU program is subject to approval, and any changes must be communicated immediately to the Assistant Dean for Graduate and International Programs. Only the credits and not the grades will transfer per ABA requirements, and the grades will not count toward honors and awards (such as graduation prizes or degree rankings, such as cum laude, magna cum laude and summa cum laude).

Registration

·  At Cardozo
Once approved, students must register during their regularly scheduled registration time for 12 credits of generic study abroad through the Office of the Registrar. Registration must be done in person, via fax to 212.790.0241 or as a pdf attachment to . The fax or pdf must include the student’s name, Student ID number, a request to register for 12 credits of study abroad with the name of the host institution, and the student’s signature.

·  At Tel Aviv: Students will register for courses via email in December prior to their semester of study. In order to register for the courses, send an email to with the name of each course, course number, and professor name.

Evaluation and Grading System
Each course will evaluate students in one of three ways: an in-class final exam; a take-home exam; or a final paper. Students may take the exam once; there is no option for a makeup exam.

Grades are distributed on a 100-point scale, with 100 being the highest. 60 is the minimum passing grade; the minimum grade for transfer to Cardozo is a 65. The grading corresponds generally to the following scale:

EXCELLENT / 95-100
VERY GOOD / 85-94
GOOD / 75-84
FAIRLY GOOD / 65-74
FAIR / 60-64

Transcript

Students must request two copies of their official transcript to be sent to Val Myteberi, Assistant Dean for Graduate and International Programs, 55 Fifth Avenue Room 1007, New York, NY 10003 prior to departure from the program. It is good practice to request a personal copy as well for your records.

Language Study

Tel-Aviv University offers an Intensive Hebrew Course for beginners (ULPAN) twice each year, in the summer and winter prior to the beginning of each semester. The course is not a part of the TAU faculty of Law exchange program and is being taught by the School for Overseas Students for an extra fee (approximately 1,200$). The School for Overseas Students also offers advanced Hebrew Courses during the academic year (for an extra fee). For more information regarding the Hebrew courses, and for registration to these courses, please refer to the TAU School for Overseas Students website: http://www.telavivuniv.org/.

Credits earned for language study are not transferrable to the Cardozo degree.

Housing

Visiting students find accommodation in apartments in and around the city. The TAU list of apartments for rent is in Hebrew (www.madas.co.il ).The following are sites commonly used for apartment searches; please note that the University does not endorse these websites and cannot vouch for the accuracy of information in them.

http://telaviv.craigslist.org / (English)

www.homeless.co.il (Hebrew)

www.yad2.co.il (Hebrew)

www.winwin.co.il (Hebrew)

Students who have not secured accommodation prior to arrival should arrive in Israel 7-10 days before the term begins, in order to look for an apartment. Although the housing market in Tel Aviv is much the same as in any busy metropolis, it is possible with enough time and patience to find a suitable place to spend the semester. The Student Exchange Program Coordinator will assist students in directing efforts to secure and apartment and can help connect you with other exchange students looking for housing.

Health and Safety

Insurance
Students must provide proof of health insurance coverage for their program in Tel Aviv.

International SOS

In addition, students studying abroad are required to register with International SOS, a24-hour international medical, security and travel assistanceprogram, which provides local expertise, advice on medical and security pre-travel issues, and emergency assistance during critical illness, accident, or civil unrest. It is also a one-stop repository for all of your important information, including passport number, emergency contacts, medical history, and so on. Registration at http://www.internationalsos.com/MasterPortal/default.aspx?membnum=11BYSG000013
is in two steps:

1.  Activate your record: This is registration of your name, passport information, and emergency contacts. You should also include medical history and upload important documents (including a copy of your passport) here.

2.  Register your trip: This is where you put details of your travel outside the United States.

Visa
Travelers with U.S. passports may enter the country with a tourist visa valid for up to three months, though it is recommended that students enter on a student visa. For the most current information about visa requirements, please see the website for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/About+the+Ministry/Consular_affairs/Visas.htm.

Cost of Living
Though this varies tremendously according to personal habits, a budget of approximately $600 per month for food, transportation, going out, independent traveling, and incidental expenses should cover a moderate spender. See http://www.visit-tlv.com/ for information about living in Tel Aviv.


Program Contacts

Marie Madvil

Student Exchange Program Coordinator

The Buchmann Faculty of Law

Tel Aviv University

Ramat Aviv

Tel Aviv 69978, Israel

Phone Number: 972-3-6408852

Fax Number: 972-3-6409576

http://www6.tau.ac.il/law_exchange/

Office of Graduate and International Programs
Room 1007 T: (212) 790-0361